The presently described inventive subject matter relates to a powered system, such as a train, an off-highway vehicle, a marine, a transport vehicle, an agriculture vehicle, and/or a stationary powered system and, more particularly to a method and computer software code for powering the powered system where throttle commands are decoupled from predefined settings.
Some powered systems such as, but not limited to, off-highway vehicles, marine diesel powered propulsion plants, stationary diesel powered systems, and transport vehicles, such as transport buses, agricultural vehicles, and rail vehicle systems (e.g., trains), are typically powered by one or more diesel power units, diesel-fueled power generating units, and/or electric engines. With respect to rail vehicle systems, a diesel power unit is usually a part of at least one locomotive that is powered by at least one diesel internal combustion engine. The rail vehicle system further includes a plurality of rail cars, such as freight cars. Usually more than one locomotive is provided. A plurality of locomotives coupled together is considered a locomotive consist. Locomotives are complex systems with numerous subsystems, with each subsystem being interdependent on other subsystems.
An operator is usually aboard a locomotive to insure the proper operation of the locomotive, and when there is a locomotive consist, the operator is usually aboard a lead locomotive. A locomotive consist is a group of locomotives that operate together in operating a train. In addition to ensuring proper operations of the locomotive, or locomotive consist, the operator also is responsible for determining operating speeds of the train and forces within the train that the locomotives are part of. To perform this function, the operator may generally have extensive experience with operating the locomotive and various trains over the specified terrain. This knowledge may be needed to comply with prescribed operating parameters, such as speeds, emissions and the like that may vary with the train location along the track.
Moreover, the operator also can be responsible for assuring in-train forces remain within designated limits. The operator applies tractive and braking effort to control the speed of the locomotive and a load of railcars to assure proper operation and timely arrival at a desired destination. For example, some known locomotives have several throttle levels, where each level is referred to as a notch. Tractive effort is applied by entering a notch, which is an electrical signal corresponds to throttle position. Speed control may also be exercised to maintain in-train forces within designated limits, thereby avoiding excessive coupler forces and the possibility of a train break. To perform this function and comply with designated operating speeds that may vary with the train's location on the track, the operator generally may have extensive experience operating the locomotive over the specified terrain with different railcar consists so that the operator knows which notch to set.
In marine applications, an operator is usually aboard a marine vehicle to insure the proper operation of the vessel, and when there is a vessel consist, the lead operator is usually aboard a lead vessel. As with the locomotive example cited above, a vessel consist is a group of vessels that operate together in operating a combined mission. In addition to ensuring proper operations of the vessel, or vessel consist, the lead operator is responsible for determining operating speeds of the consist and forces within the consist that the vessels are part of. To perform this function, the operator may have extensive experience with operating the vessel and various consists over the specified waterway or mission. This knowledge is needed to comply with designated operating speeds and other mission parameters that may vary with the vessel location along the mission. Moreover, the operator is also responsible for controlling mission forces and location remain within designated limits.
In the case of multiple diesel powered systems, which by way of example and not limitation, may reside on a single vessel, power plant or vehicle or power plant sets, an operator is usually in command of the overall system to insure the proper operation of the system, and when there is a system consist, the operator is usually aboard a lead system. Defined generally, a system consist is a group of powered systems that operate together in meeting a mission. In addition to ensuring proper operations of the single system, or system consist, the operator also is responsible for determining operating parameters of the system set and forces within the set that the system is part of. To perform this function, the operator generally has extensive experience with operating the system and various sets over the specified space and mission. This knowledge may be needed to comply with prescribed operating parameters and speeds that may vary with the system set location along the route. Moreover, the operator also may be responsible for assuring in-set forces remain within designated limits.
When operating a train, operators typically designate or assign the same notch setting for all locomotives, which in turn may lead to a large variation in fuel consumption and/or emission output, such as, but not limited to, NOx, CO2, etc., depending on a number of locomotives powering the train. Thus, the operator may not be able to operate the locomotives so that the fuel consumption is minimized or significantly reduced and the emission output is minimized or significantly reduced for each trip because the size and loading of trains vary and different locomotives of a train may have different power availabilities.
With respect to a locomotive, even with knowledge to assure safe operation, the operator may not be capable of operating the locomotive so that the fuel consumption and emissions is minimized or significantly reduced for each trip. For example, other factors that may be considered include emission output, the operator's environmental conditions like noise/vibration, a weighted combination of fuel consumption and emissions output, etc. This is difficult to do since, as an example, the size and loading of trains vary, locomotives and their fuel/emissions characteristics are different, and weather and traffic conditions vary.
Control of the powered system, such as a train, can be exercised by an automatic control system that may determine various system and mission parameters (e.g., the timing and magnitude of tractive and braking applications) to control the powered system. Alternatively, the train control system may advise the operator of preferred control actions, with the operator exercising control of the powered system in accordance with the advised actions or in accordance with the operator's independent train control assessments.
The automatic control system generally uses a mission plan (or trip plan) that may be automatically developed or modified to provide an optimized plan that improves (e.g., reduces) certain parameters, such as, but not limited to, emissions, fuel used, etc., while meeting mission objectives, such as, but not limited to, mission completion time, interactions with other powered systems, etc. When planning a mission that may be performed autonomously, which includes little to no input from the operator when the mission is being performed, an operator may verify the mission being planned. Likewise, while the mission plan is being used in controlling a powered vehicle, operator input may be required to monitor operations and/or take control of the powered vehicle.
Because such powered systems as trains and/or locomotives have notch settings, a developed mission plan using the predefined notch settings may not result in an optimum mission. Owners and/or operators of rail vehicles, off-highway vehicles, marine powered propulsion plants, transportation vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and/or stationary diesel powered systems would appreciate the financial benefits realized when these diesel powered systems improve fuel efficiency, emission output, fleet efficiency, and mission parameter performance.
Some known powered rail vehicle systems include one or more powered units and, in certain cases, one or more non-powered units. The powered units supply tractive force to propel the powered units and non-powered units. The non-powered units hold or store goods and/or passengers. “Non-powered” unit generally encompasses any vehicle without an on-board source of motive power, and also may be referred to as a non-propulsion-generating vehicle while a powered unit has an on-board source of motive power and may be referred to as a propulsion-generating vehicle.
Some known powered rail vehicle systems include a rail vehicle system (e.g., train) having powered locomotives and non-powered cars for conveying goods and/or passengers along a track. The powered vehicle systems may include several powered units. For example, the systems may include a lead powered unit, such as a lead locomotive, and one or more remote or trailing powered units, such as trailing locomotives, that are located behind and (directly or indirectly) coupled with the lead powered unit. The lead and remote powered units supply tractive force to propel the vehicle system along a route, such as a track.
The tractive force required to convey the powered units and non-powered units along the route may vary during a trip. For example, due to various parameters that change during a trip, the tractive force that is necessary to move the vehicle system along the route may vary. These changing parameters may include the curvature and/or grade of the route, speed limits and/or requirements of the vehicle system, and the like. As these parameters change during a trip, the total tractive effort, or force, that is required to propel the vehicle system along the track also changes.
While the required tractive effort may change during a trip, the operators of these powered rail vehicle systems do not have the ability to remotely turn the electrical power systems of remote powered units on or off during the trip. For example, an operator in a lead locomotive does not have the ability to remotely turn one or more of the trailing locomotives' electrical power on or off, if the tractive effort required to propel the train changes during a segment of the trip while the rail vehicle system is moving. Instead, the operator may only have the ability to locally turn on or off the remote powered units by manually boarding each such unit of the rail vehicle system.
Some known powered rail vehicle systems provide an operator in a lead locomotive with the ability to change the throttle of trailing locomotives (referred to as distributed power operations). But, these known systems do not provide the operator with the ability to turn the trailing locomotives off. Instead, the operator must turn down the throttle of the trailing locomotives that he or she wants to turn off and wait for an auto engine start/stop (AESS) device in the trailing locomotives to turn the locomotives off. Some known AESS devices do not turn the trailing locomotives off until one or more engine- or motor-related parameters are within a predetermined range. For example, some known AESS devices may not shut off the engine of a trailing locomotive until the temperature of the engine decreases to a predetermined threshold. If the time period between the operator turning down the throttle of the trailing locomotives and the temperature of the engines decreasing to the predetermined threshold is significant, then the amount of fuel that is unnecessarily consumed by the trailing locomotives can be significant. Known powered vehicle systems may include one or more powered units (e.g., locomotives) and one or more non-powered units (e.g., freight cars or other rail cars). The powered units supply tractive force to propel the powered units and non-powered units. The non-powered units hold or store goods and/or passengers, and are not capable of self-propulsion. For example, some known powered vehicle systems have locomotives and rail cars for conveying goods and/or passengers along a track. Some known powered rail vehicle systems include several powered units. For example, the systems may include a lead powered unit, such as a lead locomotive, and one or more remote powered units, such as trailing locomotives, that are located behind and coupled with the lead powered unit. The lead and remote powered units supply tractive force to propel the system along the track.
The remote powered units may be organized in motive power groups referred to as consists. (Generally, a consist is a group of vehicles that are mechanically linked together to travel along a route. As part of a train or other larger consist, a motive power group of remote powered units would be considered a sub-consist or remote consist.) The lead powered unit can control the tractive efforts of the remote powered units in consist. The remote powered units in consist can consume fuel during a trip of the vehicle system. To reduce the amount of fuel consumed by the remote vehicles, one or more operational modes of the consist may be changed during operation.
However, changing operational modes of the consist may result in fluctuations of various components or systems of the consist. For example, changing operational modes may cause voltage fluctuations in electrical circuits of the consist, fluctuations in hydraulic pressures of the consist, or the like. These fluctuations may be incompatible with certain on-board control and/or communication systems of the consist. As a result, the on-board systems may be unable to operate due to the fluctuations.
Additionally, some known rail vehicle systems may include more horsepower that is necessary to enable the vehicle systems to travel over a route to a destination location. For example, the operators that combine several locomotives into a consist of a train may add more locomotives to the train than is necessary. The total horsepower provided by the locomotives may exceed what is needed to allow the train to travel to a destination. The additional locomotives cause additional consumption of fuel and/or generation of additional emissions, which is generally undesirable.
It may be desirable to have a vehicle control system and method that differs in function from those systems that are currently available.